Video: Robots Set to Explore Fukushima

A new robot developed by the Chiba Institute of Technology's Future Robotics Technology Center (fuRO) that resembles a small military tank is set to explore Fukushima's damaged nuclear reactor.

The fuRO Sakura robot has been designed to enter the disabled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear reactor buildings (especially the basement areas, where leaks of cooling water are suspected) and collect information on damage. After the March 2011 tsunami and earthquake, the Japanese government began testing several robotic technologies that will help with future accidents. As we reported this spring, the first robot to enter the plant and provide glimpses inside after the disaster was iRobot's 510 PackBot. That hand-carryable 24-pound machine can climb stairs, roll over rubble, and navigate narrow passages.

The Sakura, resembling a small tank, is designed to assess damage at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear reactor buildings, especially the basement areas. A key ability will be climbing stairs with changing slopes.(Source: Chiba Institute of Technology's Future Robotics Technology Center)

The remote-controlled Sakura is one of several rescue robots fuRO has developed during two generations of search-and-rescue robotics R&D. The Sakura is a result of a project conducted by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) that focuses on the development of robots for disaster response, including search-and-rescue and quick damage assessment.

Another robot in this project is a modified robotic suit based on the Cyberdyne HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) exoskeleton originally designed to help people walk or lift heavy objects. The modified version will augment the suit's power units, sensors, and battery pack with a tungsten shielded vest that reduces radiation exposure by about 50 percent, as well as a ventilation system to prevent overheating. The suit can also monitor the wearer's vital signs, including heart rate and body temperature.

The Sakura robot can roll through narrow passageways and stairs on tank-like treads, finding its way with a camera, sensors, and a directional microphone that detects the sound of moving water. The robot protects itself and its operator against radiation. Its bottom surface is covered by a stainless steel plate 5mm thick, and one of its devices automatically extends and retracts communication cables. It's also designed to go up to three years without maintenance.

I should add that rad-hard design techniques and materials research are also a long-term subject of R&D by NASA for space applications, as well as DARPA's military apps and, presumably, various researchers for the nuclear energy industry.

Of course there has been research and development of Rad-hard materials and components, but it seems like it is not quite an ongoing process. But it may just be a topic that gets really poor coverage in the media. After all, people may start to ask as to exactly WHY do we need to develop such materials. And if the media start asking questions there may be quite a fuss made.

But my point is that different materials that may be quite desireable fr a design may not have any information available about their suitability for service in a radioactive environment. Radiation effects on one polymer may not be an adequate indication of how a different polymer would be affected.

William, rad-hard design techniques and materials research have been around a long time in the US military, including for electronic components, and much of it is usable in robotics design. Regarding this robot and how much of the technology and design it uses is new, the main thing seems to be handling those slopes and slope changes.

Elizabeth. Right you are. Wherever it is difficult or dangerous for people, our robots can step in. They are exploring Mars, the depths of the ocean even (gasp) the dust bunnies under the couch. All kidding aside, let's hope that search and rescue bots are not far behind.

I agree with you and the others, Ann, that it's great to see this kind of work being done. This is exactly the point of creating robots that can go places or perform tasks that are dangerous for humans. It's nice to see it being put to use in a real-world example, as a lot of this stuff is still in the concept phase.

I am inclined to agree that the robot in the picture does look a bit like an older tank model. I am much more wondering why it has taken so very long to come up with such a creation. It does not look like there is an "breakthrough" design features, nor any wonderful new concepts. Of course the assurance of all of the materials being able to survive the possibly intense radiation may have taken some time.

Do we know what effects radiation has on components such as rechargeable batteries? That may be a potential show stopper, since the alternative is to have the robot pay out a cable as it travels, and then some how recover the cable as it returns. That sort of feature would add weight and possibly reduce maneuverability, but it could extend mission times a whole lot. So robot power does become a show-changer, but not a show-stopping issue.

OF course, it may have taken that long to come up with the neat names.

TJ, don't you just love those names? Lots of people have wondered if they're on purpose. I had the same question about the use of existing rad-hard technology for space and military apps back when I heard about the first people and robots going into the plant post-disaster. One would think they're taking advantage of those!

A few weeks ago, Ford Motor Co. quietly announced that it was rolling out a new wrinkle to the powerful safety feature called stability control, adding even more lifesaving potential to a technology that has already been very successful.

It won't be too much longer and hardware design, as we used to know it, will be remembered alongside the slide rule and the Karnaugh map. You will need to move beyond those familiar bits and bytes into the new world of software centric design.

People who want to take advantage of solar energy in their homes no longer need to install a bolt-on solar-panel system atop their houses -- they can integrate solar-energy-harvesting shingles directing into an existing or new roof instead.

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